Secrets, Regrets And Surprises
by Citation-2
Summary: After breaking up with Gibbs, Tony accepts a dangerous mission and is captured. Full of regrets, he thinks no one will come to rescue him, until help arrives in a most unusual shape. A "shifter" fic inspired by my love for horses. Gibbs X Tony SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**Secrets, Regrets And Surprises**

**By **

**Gunnery Sergeant**

**Afghanistan, Nimruz Province**

Anthony DiNozzo shivered, as the cold wind blowing down from the mountains hit him as a blast of chilly air coming out from an open freezer. He wrapped the old blanket his captors had given him around his shoulders, but there was only so much it could do to keep him warm.

Looking through the bars of the low wooden cage imprisoning him, he stared longingly at the fires burning at the other end of the camp…and then beyond them, at the road departing from the marauders' settlement.

At freedom.

Tony shivered again, this time not just because of the cold wind and the setting sun. After ten days of captivity, he was starting to lose his hopes. He knew the chances he would be freed were very scarce. The US government didn't pay ransoms, especially when the money could end up in terrorists' pockets, and he doubted they would risk another military action to rescue him after the failure of the first.

Something blocked his view of the camp, and Tony noticed that two of the horses that roamed free in the area had stepped near the cage. One of them, a thin bay with a coarse, dirty coat was nibbling at a few tuff of grass, while the other, a light grey with a darker mane, was standing with its head held high and looking around. Tony wasn't an expert in horseflesh, but he thought that beast was beautiful, so different from its companion and the other emaciated animals he had seen around the camp. It was muscled, well-fed and in great shape, despite several marks on its chest and ribs. Maybe they were the memento of a fight for the possession of a female, because Tony could see it was a stallion.

The two horses walked away, and Tony followed them with his gaze until they disappeared behind a rock formation on his left. He felt a pang of longing and envy at their freedom and gave a savage, enraged kick at the bars imprisoning him. But in truth his rage wasn't directed to the horses. It wasn't even directed to his captors.

It was directed to himself. To his stupidity and arrogance. It was all his fault that he had ended in this predicament.

The mission had seemed easy enough back in Washington. A Marine corporal had been killed near the Delaram Forward Operation Base and while his CO's report claimed the Taliban was responsible, an anonymous email sent to the victim's family claimed the young man had been killed by friendly fire.

The corporal's father had thus contacted the SECNAV and insisted for an investigation, threatening to go to the press if it light wasn't shed on his son's death. The SECNAV had in turn contacted Vance, who had started looking for a volunteer to send to Afghanistan.

Tony had offered himself, and since there hadn't exactly been a line of people willing to travel to a war zone, he had been put on the first C-130 leaving from Andrews.

The cargo plane had landed in Kandahar, where he had boarded a smaller plane to Zaranj, the capital of the Nimruz province, and the closest airport to the Delaram Marine FOB. Everything had gone smoothly up to the time he had been ambushed during his car trip from the airport to the base. His driver and Marine escort had been killed and he had been taken away, and rushed toward the mountains that towered in the north-west of the province.

Those mountains were a labyrinth of cliffs and ravines, and a natural fortress, making it impossible for troops to approach them without being spotted and being attacked when still on plain terrain and without cover. Just as it had happened six days before, when a Marine commando had tried to approach them. Tony had no idea of how many Americans had lost their lives or had been wounded in that attempt to rescue him, but from the jubilant cries of his captors, he was aware the battle hadn't ended well for the Marines.

This was why Tony knew it was unlikely there would be another attempt to free him. What CO would send his men in a basically suicide mission to save a lowly NCIS agent?

The future looked gloomy for Tony, because as soon as his captors realized the USA wasn't going to pay to get him back, he would cease to have any value for them and God only knew what would happen to him.

And it was just his fault.

As soon as Vance had started looking for a volunteer, Gibbs had ordered to his team not to step up, but Tony, in an impetus of rage and rebellion, had gone over his boss' head and done just what he had been told not to do. He had been furious with Gibbs who, after demonstrating he didn't trust Tony in private life, now doubted him in is professional capacity too.

Now, his anger long gone, Tony knew it hadn't been a matter of trust or lack of it. Gibbs had just been worried about his safety. In the last months there had been a recrudescence of Taliban activities in that area, and only a few days before two Italian soldiers had been killed near Delaram.

"You were right, Boss," Tony murmured aloud, "and I was wrong."

He had wanted to hurt his lover as Gibbs had hurt him, and now he was paying the price of his stupidity.

Tony shivered again, and a lump constricted his throat as he thought of Gibbs. They had been so happy and content with what they had. Then everything had crumbled down and he still had to understand why things had gone so wrong and so quickly.

Unbidden, his mind returned to the day everything had started, to the day he had thought Fate had decided to grant him his greatest and most secretive wish…

_Tony parked his car at the beginning of the 500 block of East Laurel Street, and stepped out of it, taking the six pack of beer from the passenger seat. Gibbs had invited him for one of his delicious cowboy-style dinners, and Tony had been more than eager to accept the invitation. _

_He liked to spend time with his boss out of work. Gibbs had a very quirky sense of humor and was good company even when he spent most the evening in silence or answering with monosyllables. Tony liked how Gibbs knew his real self, the one the younger man hid most of the time behind his clown mask, and how it allowed him to fully relax when he was in company of his boss. _

_As he walked toward Gibbs' house, enjoying a quiet stroll, Tony thought the only thing he would like more was to discover his boss too was interested in more than friendship with him. He had known since his college days he swung both ways, and he had been attracted to Gibbs from the first moment he had seen the older man charge inside the Baltimore PD precinct as if he owned the place._

_In time the attraction had turned in something that went beyond the physical as care, respect, admiration, trust and mutual liking had been thrown in the mix. _

_Some days, his longing was so strong that Tony found himself seriously considering making a pass at Gibbs, but he never acted on it. Gibbs was as hetero as they came and Tony didn't want to jeopardize their friendship and working relationship. So he made do with cheap substitutes, both males and females, he picked up in clubs and treasured every bit of gruff affection the older man bestowed on him._

_When Tony reached Gibbs' house, he discovered he was thirty minutes early, but he thought his boss wouldn't mind it. So he opened the unlocked door and stepped into the house. He walked straight to the living room, surprised to see that the bindings of big window behind the old but comfy couch were closed. They had always been open during all his previous visits and Tony found it curious. He put the beer on the low coffee table in front of the couch and was about to call Gibbs' name when he heard a soft noise come from the kitchen. _

_He turned around with a greeting on his lips, but his voice died in a strangled gasp at the sight welcoming him._

_Gibbs was standing on the threshold of the kitchen, completely and utterly naked. There was a shocked expression on his face— one mirroring Tony's. _

_The younger man was frozen on the spot. He knew he should turn around and give some privacy to the man, but he wasn't able to tear his eyes away from the body he wanted to see for so long._

_So while a minuscule part of his brain wondered what the hell Gibbs had been doing stark naked in his kitchen, the other part was busy roaming the older man's body, examining every detail and storing it in his memory. _

_Gibbs was magnificent, all fair skin and lean muscles, powerful and yet graceful. He had broad shoulders, a strong chest covered by silver hair and a stomach that even if had softened a bit with age, was still in much better shape than those belonging to most of the younger men Tony had slept with. _

_Then the younger man's gaze moved down, to that part of Gibbs' anatomy he had thought he would never see and his eyes widened when he saw it __twitch once, then twice, as it lengthened and hardened. _

_Tony's mouth fell open in shock. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible Gibbs could be getting aroused while the younger man was devouring him with his eyes. But he was. He was. Gibbs' cock was now completely erect and jutting out proudly from its nest of wiry curls._

_Tony raised his head and looked at his boss' face, gulping hard at the intent look he saw in those blue eyes. There was no shame in them, no embarrassment, just a look the younger man couldn't decipher. _

_Tony shifted his weight and a soft, surprised 'oh!' escaped his lips as he realized how hard his own cock was. Taken as he had been by Gibbs' body, he hadn't realized he had reacted exactly as the older man had done, he too betraying his interest. _

_Suddenly the look in Gibbs' eyes became clear._

_Tony nodded and took a step forward, removing his suit jacket as he walked. Gibbs moved too and they met in the middle of the living room. They stopped close to each other, so close that Tony could feel the warmth of Gibbs' breath on his face and they exchanged a look that said more than a hundred words. _

"_You sure?" Gibbs asked after a long moment, his voice rough and low._

"_Yes," Tony answered. He had never been surer of anything in his life. _

"_Then come." Gibbs led the way upstairs, and Tony followed him, staring at his bare back and ass. His mind was reeling with lust and incredulity. He could hardly believe Gibbs was as interested in him as Tony was in the older man, but the proof was there, bobbing with each step the older man took and the younger man ceased to question it._

_Once inside Gibbs' bedroom, the older man turned around and backed Tony against the wall. He moved closer, so close they lips were almost touching and their breath mingled. Tony was enveloped by Gibbs' scent, a mix of clean sweat, aftershave, coffee, sawdust and lust that made his head spin and his cock throb with renewed need. So he moved in, his arms rising to surround Gibbs' strong back and pull him in for the kiss he had longed for so long._

_The older man responded __to the kiss almost instantly, opening his lips as his own arms tightened around Tony's back. _

_Tony moaned aloud at the feel of Gibbs' tongue invading his mouth and taking control of it. When the lack of oxygen forced them to separate, the younger man dropped his head and __peppered kisses against Gibbs' neck, as the older man's hands ghosted along his sides, tracing patterns that made Tony shiver. _

_As Tony began to move his lips along Gibbs' throat up to his jaw, briefly nuzzling the underside before moving his lips to the smooth flesh above, the older man twisted his head, initiating a second kiss, as passionate as the first one._

"_Are you really sure about this?" Gibbs asked again, cupping Tony's face between his palms. "This is the last chance to stop, DiNozzo."_

_Tony didn't hesitate a second before nodding his head. "I'm sure."_

_Gibbs grinned then, and in that moment looked younger than Tony could ever remember. In that moment all of his cares seemed to have faded away leaving him completely tension-free for the first time Tony could ever recall—and he felt inordinately happy because he was the one who was making Gibbs feel like that._

_Taking a step back, Tony held Gibbs' gaze as he stripped off his shirt, trousers and the rest of his clothes, until they were both naked. _

_They moved to the bed and knelt on the mattress, facing each other as they explored one another's bodies with their fingertips, lips and tongues. Every so often their bodies would brush, causing both to shiver. _

_Gibbs lifted his right hand to cup Tony's cheek, drawing the younger man's lips towards his own, as his left hand moved to grip his lover's hip, his thumb lightly stroking the ridge where hip met torso. Tony groaned and shifted his legs and they both gasped when their erections brushed together. _

_Very slowly, the older man's left hand followed the line of Tony's hip to his groin, cupping his balls briefly before gliding his palm over the heated shaft. He slid his hand up and down a few times before closing his fingers around its girth._

_The younger man muttered something unintelligible that made Gibbs grin in smug satisfaction, before his mouth went slack when Tony's hand wrapped around his cock and stroked it firmly._

_Then Tony leaned back onto the mattress, his firm hold of Gibbs' cock obliging the older man to follow his move, and to settle between Tony's spread legs._

_Tony removed his hand, so that they could trust one against the other, their bodies arching and rocking languidly as they shared hot, needy kisses. Then, when it became clear that good as the friction was, it was not quite enough, and Tony wiggled his hand between their bodies once again, wrapping his fingers around both their shafts, so that when they thrust they filled the same tight place. Until Gibbs' hips slipped back a bit too far and when he pushed forward, the tip of his cock followed the curve of Tony's balls down to that sensitive patch of skin before his hole. _

_Tony cried out at the unexpected touch, his body stiffening as surge of pre-come spilled from his cockhead. _

"_Please, Jethro..." he moaned, his thighs falling open further in blatant invitation. He usually didn't go for the 'main course' the first time he slept with a guy, but this wasn't some stranger he had picked up in a club. This was Gibbs, whom he trusted with his life and had wanted for years, and he didn't wish to waste this opportunity, especially if it turned out this was a one-time only thing._

_Gibbs nodded and stretching his arm, he opened his bedside table drawer and took out a condom and a tube of some kind of lotion. _

_Tony spread his legs wider as Gibbs knelt between them and poured some lotion on his fingers. Then he moved his hand and one of said slick fingers began to toy with the outer edges of Tony's opening. Tony glared at him and thrust his hips, making clear that the older man had to stop playing with him and get down to serious stuff. Which Gibbs did, very slowly and very thoroughly, stretching Tony with first one then two and finally three fingers until the younger man was whimpering and panting with need._

_Finally, when Tony thought he couldn't resist a moment more, Gibbs removed his fingers, put on a condom and used some more lotion to slicken his erection. Tony raised his hips in anticipation and a few moments later he felt Gibbs breach him, the pressure steady, slow and exquisite._

_When Gibbs bottomed out and started thrusting, Tony's fingers sunk in his hair, pulling his __lover's mouth down towards his own. His body was coiling tighter and tighter as the older man pushed into him, cockhead grazing his prostrate on every few thrusts. _

_All of his nerves came alive as never before and he felt like he was drunk on pleasure, which increased even more when Gibbs reached between their bodies and wrapped his hand around his cock. _

_It took just three strokes of those calloused, skilled fingers to make him go over the edge. Tony climaxed, crying out his ecstasy, vaguely aware of Gibbs thrusting into him a few more times before the older man stilled and shuddered with a long, satisfied groan._

_When he regained some awareness, Tony found himself blanketed by Gibbs' limp body. They were both panting, and the older man's softening cock was still buried inside him. On impulse, Tony locked his legs around his lover's upper thighs to keep the man within him for as long as possible, and whimpered in disappointment when, a few minutes later, Gibbs finally slipped out._

"_I'm not going anywhere," Gibbs murmured, raising his head and looking straight at the younger man, his words and soft tone soothing the concern that had been rising in Tony as the afterglow faded. "And neither are you, Tony. The night is young, and we still have a steak to cook and eat." _

_TBC_

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_So what do you think? Let me know and remember reviews make me update faster!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to: tinkerbellblu83 and l () for their reviews!**

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And so it had begun. After that first time, there had been many others. There hadn't been talks or discussions about their feelings or their future. No, they had simply taken the new development between them in stride and went on from there. Nothing had changed on the job, but outside work, life became far more interesting, full and fulfilling.

There had been evenings spent at Tony's apartment, eating pizza as they watched a movie and there had been evenings at Gibbs' house, with Tony reading a magazine in a corner of the basement as the older man worked on some of his endless projects. There had been nights of scorching passion, and nights spent just lying close together and sharing tidbits of themselves, about their childhoods and their lives before they had met in Baltimore. There had been Saturdays mornings that had seen them running together in the park, and Sundays mornings spent walking among the graves of the cemetery until they reached the ones they had come to visit.

No, they had never discussed how it had started or for how long they had wanted it or wondered where it was heading, but Tony had known that whatever it was the thing between them, they were both in it—_together_– and he had never felt happier. For the first time in far too many years, he felt like he belonged, and he had felt sure of the affection Gibbs so easily bestowed to him when they were alone.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, it had ended.

Tony closed his eyes, unwilling to relive that awful day, but it was useless. His mind had already conjured the memories up, and there was nothing he could do to stop them from replaying behind his closed eyelids…

_It was Sunday night, and Tony was driving toward Gibbs' house, barely containing the excitement bubbling inside him. _

_It had been their first separate weekend since they had started their… whatever it was…and Tony had spent it playing the tourist guide for a couple of visiting frat-brothers. One of them was involved in organizing major musical events along the whole East Coast, and had rewarded Tony with two tickets for Bruce Springsteen's sold out concert in Baltimore. The Boss wasn't only one of his favorite artists but, wonder of wonders, he was also one of the few singers Jethro knew and liked. _

_Tony couldn't contain his enthusiasm at the unexpected gift and couldn't wait to give the news to Gibbs, whom, hopefully, had by now returned from his trip to West Virginia, where he had attended a meeting of former Marines._

_Tony pulled up in front of Gibbs' house and smiled when he saw the lights were on in the bedroom. He left the car, silently entered the house and tip-toed up the stairs, wanting to surprise his lover._

_But when he stepped inside the bedroom, it was him the one being surprised, and not in a pleasant way._

_He found Gibbs standing by the bed, drying his wet hair with a towel and wearing only his sleep pants. His chest was bare and covered by several deep, reddish and purple bruises._

_Tony's first reaction was to worry. Had Gibbs been in a fight? Or in a car accident? Then the worry turned in stunned stupor when he realized some of the marks where tooth prints. _

_Tony was shocked and for once in his life, speechless. Gibbs' chest was covered by bite marks. _

_Who had left them? _

_He didn't want to believe the older man had been with someone else…but the proof was there, in front of his eyes. Of all the things he had imagined happening, Gibbs cheating on him hadn't been among them. _

_Jethro was the most loyal person he had ever met…but perhaps he was only on the job. After all, had he been divorced three times? Who knew what had pushed his wives to leave him? Maybe he had been unfaithful to them as he had been to Tony._

"_What are you doing here, Tony?" Gibbs asked, breaking the unnatural stillness of room. _

_Tony blinked his eyes and saw that the older man had put a t-shit on and was now standing close to him._

"_I wanted to spend some time with you, tell you what had happened with my frat-brothers. I missed you today," Tony answered, too shaken to even think to cover his real feelings. "But I see you didn't miss me at all," he added, sarcasm and hurt mingling in his tone. "Did you have fun today? Or it was yesterday night?"_

_Gibbs frowned. "What?"_

"_Oh come on, Gibbs. Do you think I'm stupid? You're covered with love bites! Who left them? A redhead or one of your Marine buddies?" Tony's voice rose steadily during his tirade, as the pain in his heart increased. He gestured helplessly with his hand as he added, "I know we never explicitly talked about exclusivity, but I thought it was a given and-" _

"_Ya think I cheated on you?" Gibbs asked, his tone low and unbelieving, but also full of anger, as if he was the offended party, not Tony._

"_Do you have another explanation for them?" Tony demanded, pointing at Gibbs' chest._

"_As a matter of fact, yeah, I do have an explanation."_

"_Tell me, I'm all ears," Tony urged, his heart pounding with the hope this will turn to be only a terrible misunderstanding._

"_I can't."_

_Tony's hopes shattered as his feelings of betrayal rose again. "You can't...or you don't want to?"_

_Gibbs stared hard at him, "It's something I cannot discuss with you. But it has nothing to do with you and me."_

_Tony shook his head. "You and me, Jethro? How there can be a 'you and me', if there is no trust between us?"_

"_I trust you Tony, and you know it. But…do you trust me?" Gibbs asked, his eyes narrowed. _

_Tony looked at him, feeling his heart constrict as his mind went in ten different directions at the same time. _

_He could accept Gibbs not telling him things on the job. He was aware that the older man couldn't treat him as an equal when he was his boss and not his lover. But now? This wasn't a matter of national security or a need-to-know situation. This was their private life, it concerned Tony's happiness and the younger man's faith in his lover had been shaken—badly. _

_Tony wanted to believe to Gibbs. He wanted to believe those bite marks hadn't been left by a lover, but the more he thought about it, unable to conjure another possible explanation, the more confused and hurt he felt. _

"_I-I don't think you really trust me, Gibbs," he finally said. "If you did, you would tell me what happened to you, because you would know I would never betray your confidence. But you don't want to talk with me and thus, since you cannot give me your trust, I don't see why I should give you mine."_

_Gibbs' eyes blazed and for a moment Tony saw pain and disappointment flash on his face, before his features hardened in an unreadable mask._

"_Then I think it's best if you leave now. I'll see you tomorrow at work."_

_Tony nodded at Gibbs' definitive, implacable words and walked away without a second glance, carrying with him the pieces of his broken heart and shattered hopes for a future with the older man._

That had happened two days before he had left for Afghanistan. Two days of finding it difficult to concentrate on the job after having spent a sleepless night. Two days spent observing Gibbs, trying to discover if he was affected by their break-up as Tony was or if he had already put them behind him. Two days spent wondering why, why, why, Gibbs could have done that to him…

And then Vance had come looking for a volunteer and Tony had jumped at the opportunity to be away from Gibbs for a while, in order to be able to think about his life and future without being in close quarters with the older man.

He had ignored his boss' order not to volunteer and gone to Vance's office at the first opportunity, feeling inordinately proud and smug when the Director had said he had counted on Tony volunteering, especially after the good work he had done in the past, both in Iraq and Somalia. They had discussed the case and then Vance had told Tony to go home and get ready for his trip, for there was a cargo plane leaving for Afghanistan in four hours.

Tony had seen realization dawn on Gibbs' face as soon as the older man had spotted him trotting down the stairs. His boss had risen from his desk and approached Tony with a thunderous expression as soon as he had stepped into the bull pen.

"DiNozzo, conference room. Now." Gibbs had growled, walking toward the back elevator, but for the first time since he had started working for him, Tony hadn't followed him. Instead he had moved to his desk to retrieve his backpack.

"You deaf, DiNozzo?" Gibbs had snapped, approaching him again.

"No, Boss, I am not. But there's nothing to discuss, so I don't see the point to lose precious time talking since I have a plan to catch," he had answered coldly. "I'm not going to change my mind. Director Vance thinks I'm qualified for this investigation, and I too know I am, no matter what you think. So I'm now going home to get ready for my trip."

Gibbs had gritted his teeth, trying to contain his fury. "This is no time for this crap, DiNozzo. You're angry with me and that's fine, but there are other ways to get even with me that don't involve you going in a war zone."

"You are quite conceited, you know? This isn't about you, Gibbs. This is about me wanting to do my job. About my duty to this agency, not about you."

"You can do your job here, without going to Afghanistan."

"Yeah, so you can keep an eye on me and be sure I don't screw up. Thanks for the trust, Boss," Tony had said, his sarcastic tone covering the pain in heart. "This pep talk was just what I needed to hear from you."

Speaking so, he had marched to the main elevator, once again leaving Gibbs behind without a second glance.

"I'm sorry, Boss," Tony murmured as he returned to the present. "Sorry I didn't listen to you. Sorry that I didn't give myself more time to think and calm down. Sorry that I didn't give you more time to explain your reasons before putting myself in this mess."

He swallowed hard and blinked, realizing with a start that the darkness of the night had already fallen. The camp was silent and probably already asleep, but for the sentries sitting by a faraway fire.

Tony grabbed the old blanket and wrapped it better around his body as he scooted closer to the back of the cage, where the sleeping pallet was. He reclined on his side, huddled in the blanket and tried to find a comfortable position, which wasn't easy since the thin pallet did little to make the hard ground softer.

Tony had closed his eyes for just a couple of minutes when he heard a slight noise and then something warm against his cheek. His eyes snapped open as his hand instinctively reached for the knife he kept in his belt but, that, of course, his captors had found and taken away. Luckily it turned out he had been touched by a friend, not by a foe. In the light cast by the half moon Tony saw that the grey stallion he had admired earlier had pushed his head between the bars of the cage and was now sniffing him.

"Hello boy," Tony whispered as reached out with his hand and stroked the animal's velvety nose.

He had never liked horses much in the past. However, after his embarrassing trip to Arizona, when he had caught the Sheriff Boyd snicker at the way he sat on the saddle, he had taken a few lessons at a riding academy. He had thus discovered that horses were mostly nice, kind animals and his liking for them had increased. Now this grey stallion was offering him the first gentle contact with another being he had had in the past ten days, and his mere presence was making Tony feel a little less alone.

So he couldn't suppress his disappointment when the horse pulled away from his touch and walked around the cage. However Tony's upset turned in surprise when, with a couple of powerful, well-aimed kicks of his right hind leg the horse broke two of the wooden bars of the cage.

Quick as lighting, Tony moved forward and pushed his body in the hole the horse had created. He stepped out of the cage and stood up, taking the opportunity to stretch his back for the first time since his capture. He hurt all over because of the forced inactivity, but he didn't ponder about his aches for long. He looked around the camp, trying to decide what to do next. He needed to put as much distance as possible between him and his captors before the sunrise, but the only way road departing from the camp was patrolled by sentries, who also guarded the marauders' trucks.

A soft whinny recalled his attention, and for the second time within five minutes, Tony's eyes widened in surprise.

The grey stallion was near him, but he wasn't standing on his four legs. He had instead bent one knee until it touched the ground while stretching his over foreleg forward, as Tony had once seen a circus horse doing.

"What…?" Tony whispered, and the horse bent his neck, using his head to point at his now lowered back.

"Do you want me to climb on you?" the young man asked, not really expecting an answer—but getting it in the form of a nod and a soft snort.

Tony couldn't believe it. He was aware horses were considered to be quite smart, but this…this was a bit too much. Yet, he didn't hesitate. He walked closer to the grey horse and straddled his back and sat on it, taking hold of the thick mane to help to maintain his balance.

Once he was settled, the horse rose to a standing position and then walked in the direction where he had disappeared earlier that day, circling a peak and climbing along a narrow, rocky path.

As Tony watched the lights cast by the sentries' fires became smaller and smaller, he wondered if someone had trained this horse to rescue hostages, but found it unlikely. He wasn't an expert, but he knew animals could learn only simple commands, and there hadn't been anything simple in what this stallion had done.

The horse kept walking up and down the mountains paths, sure footed and determined, as if he knew where he was going, which was good because Tony hadn't the slightest idea of where they were headed, even if he knew the altitude had greatly reduced. The climate was now warmer and far, far away, he could see the lights of a city.

Suddenly the horse stopped and, without thinking, Tony kicked him hard with his heels to make him resume his walking. The stallion didn't budge, but he bent his neck and turned his head to look at Tony, with his ears pinned against his skull and glare in his eye that reminded him of Gibbs'—perhaps because this horse' eyes were not brown, but blue as his Boss'.

"Okay, okay," Tony said, patting the stallion's neck. "I won't do it again."

The horse snorted then straightened his neck and cocked his ears forward. Tony looked in the direction the ears were pointing at and saw two shadows move.

_Sentries_, he thought as he realized why his four-legged rescuer had stopped. Man and horse waited in complete stillness until the guards moved away from the path, and then resumed their descent along the side of the mountain.

Tony and the grey stallion walked for hours, as little by little the night became day and the rising sun chased the moon away.

When they finally reached the bottom of the mountains, the horse didn't stop or show any kind of hesitation. To the contrary, he pricked his ears in the direction of the distant town Tony had spotted earlier, and began to canter, his strong legs beating the ground with elastic, rhythmic strides.

Tony's hold on his mane and leg grip around his barrel tightened and the young man crouched low on the beast's neck as the horse sharply accelerated when they heard gunfire shots echo behind them. The stallion kept running at full gallop until they were at a safe distance, then he slowed down again to his easy, comfortable canter.

Despite the soreness creeping along his legs and back Tony held on and the horse continued to run, apparently immune to fatigue, as his legs devoured miles and miles of Afghani desert.

The sun was already high in the sky when, finally, the stallion slowed down to walk. His coat was darkened by sweat, which had turned into white foam where Tony's legs had rubbed against his flanks during his run. He was breathing harshly and the veins of his neck stood out prominently beneath his fine skin.

Tony patted him in encouragement, and brightened when he saw the horse was heading toward a rocky formation. It was getting very hot, and he hoped the animal would stop in the shadow cast by the rock, so that they could both rest for a while, now that they were safe and close to a town, although Tony had no idea which one.

The horse seemed to read his thoughts because he approached the rock formation and entered inside a tall cavern that opened on its east side. There Tony received the third surprise of this incredible night and day.

There was a jeep hidden in the cavern, and it sported the USMC insignia. Tony slid down the horse's sweaty back, stumbled as his aching legs threatened to crumble beneath him, regained his footing and went to check the jeep. The seats were covered by a mimetic web, and when he pushed it away, Tony discovered a neatly folded camouflage uniform, underwear, a pair of socks, and military boots.

He picked up the uniform top and put it against his chest, wondering if he should wear it although it looked a bit small for him.

"That's mine, DiNozzo," a familiar voice echoed in the cavern. "I can't return to the base stark naked."

Tony whirled around and his eyes threatened to jump out of his sockets as he saw Gibbs standing near him. His boss was completely naked, and covered by a sheen of sweat that made his skin shine in the sunlight filtering from outside. His silver hair was wet and plastered to his skull and his rib cage rose and fell rapidly as he struggled to regain his breath.

Tony looked around the cavern, looking for the grey stallion, but there was no trace of him. There was only Gibbs, with his sweaty chest still covered by fading bite marks, and the veins of his neck pulsing wildly.

Tony's head started to spin as all the pieces of the jigsaw went into place and created an incredible picture.

"You…" he murmured, barely believing to what he was saying… "The horse…"

"Yeah," Gibbs answered as he moved stiffly to take the uniform top Tony was still holding. He donned it as he said, "I would appreciate if you kept it for yourself when we reach the base."

Tony nodded shocked as he watched Gibbs put on the rest of his uniform. His head was reeling with what he had just learned and seen. His boss wasn't a normal man. He could transform into a horse. And it wasn't just that… Without a weapon and completely alone, Gibbs had infiltrated an enemy camp and rescued him.

After what Tony had snarled into his face and after the events had unequivocally proved that Gibbs had been right in his concerns, the older man had risked his life to save him.

Tony had never felt so humbled in his entire life. Nor he had ever felt more ashamed.

When Gibbs was dressed, he retrieved the keys from beneath the driver seat and got into the jeep. Tony did the same and a few minutes later they were travelling along a dusty road, with the wind whipping their faces and drying Gibbs' sweaty hair.

Tony was silent for several minutes, occasionally darting glances at his companion, admiring the way Gibbs' strong hands steered the wheel as he negotiated the bumpy, hole-filled road. After a while Tony also noticed his boss continued to shift position on the seat, as if he couldn't find a comfortable one.

"Are you all right?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, but my back is killing me. I haven't carried anyone for almost twenty years," Gibbs answered, without looking at him.

_Twenty years…Shannon,_ Tony thought. Gibbs hadn't carried anyone on his back since she died.

"Uh…and I guess I'm much heavier than she was," he dared to comment.

A little smile bent Gibbs' lips, "Yeah, you are." Then he shifted again on the seat.

"I could give you a massage when we arrive at the base…You know I'm good with my hands." Tony blushed as he realized the double meaning of his words.

"If we've time. I want to leave this damn country ASAP and we've an investigation to lead before we can take a plane back home."

Tony nodded. "Okay." He had almost forgotten about the reason he had been sent to Afghanistan for.

He stared in front of him as the trip progressed and a few minutes later the shape of a Soviet-era round tower became visible at the horizon.

"That tower is inside the Delaram FOB," Gibbs said. "We're almost arrived."

Tony nodded, and then a thought flashed in his mind. "Slow down a bit; we need to decide what to say to the base CO. About my rescue, I mean."

Gibbs turned to face him. "Just say the truth: that I infiltrated the marauders' camp, freed you and that together we reached the jeep I had previously hidden. The CO was a lieutenant when I was in Camp Pendleton and he knows I was a scout sniper. That's why he let me take this jeep and come to the rescue. He knew he couldn't send another group of Marines because they would most certainly been spotted as the first squad he sent days ago, but he agreed with me that a single man could have a chance to pass unobserved."

"And a wild horse roaming the area in search of food would have even more…"

"Yes."

"That's fine, Boss. I'll say just that." A pause, then Tony reached out with his hand and put it on Gibbs' arm. "Thank you, Jethro," he murmured. "Thank you for travelling all the way from DC and for coming to rescue me. I-I thought no one else would risk their life for me after the first attempt failed."

Gibbs turned to look at him, his face terribly serious. "You should have known I would come, Tony. I don't leave my people behind—and especially you. You should trust me more."

Tony's heart twisted as he returned with his mind to that evening of two weeks before. "About that-"

"Not now, DiNozzo. Most of the Marines guarding the base can lip-read, and we're already in the range of their rifles' scopes. We'll talk about it when are back home."

"Okay, Boss," Tony said, and looking straight ahead, he saw the gates of the base opening as one of the sentries waved in greeting and another shouted "Ooh-rah!"

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_So what do you think? Let me know and remember reviews make me update faster!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to Q-vadis, tinkerbellblu83, Ranks, Paige, dolphinsiren77 and Larissa for their reviews: I really appreciate them!**

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Three days later Tony stepped on the porch of Gibbs' house and knocked. As he waited for his boss to open, he shifted his weight, trying to give some reprieve to his still sore legs. They had returned from Afghanistan only that morning, and after reporting to Vance and giving him the results of the investigation, they had both been both sent home with the order to rest and not to be seen in the office until Monday.

He and Gibbs had made no plans about when they would meet to talk about what had happened between them, but after having spent a few hours tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep despite his tiredness, Tony had decided he couldn't wait anymore. He needed to see Gibbs now. They needed to talk and to hopefully put what had happened behind them.

Tony wanted them to get back to what they had. He was now sure Gibbs hadn't cheated on him, but received those bites fighting in his horse shape—and that was the reason the older man couldn't tell to him how he had got them. Gibbs had probably thought Tony would have believed him mad or freaked out had he revealed he was a 'werehorse' or whatever his species was called, and the young man couldn't blame him.

He doubted he would have believed Gibbs back then. A man able to transform into a horse? It was a completely unbelievable idea. Yet, it was the truth, as amazing and incredible it was. And Tony wasn't freaked out by it.

During the long ten days he had spent closed in that cage, when thinking was all he could do, he had come to realize that what he felt for Gibbs wasn't just care or lust or admiration. It was all of that and more: it was Love, with the capital L. The feeling Tony had never really experienced before, not even with Jeanne, and that was why it had taken him so long to give it a name.

But now he knew, and he was determined to do everything he could to demonstrate to Gibbs how much he meant to him and how sorry Tony was for what had happened. He wanted to get back to what they had and was ready to fight with nail and tooth for it.

Gibbs opened the door and without a hint of surprise, motioned him inside, "Tony."

"Boss."

They walked into the living room, but to Tony surprise they didn't stop there and sit on the couch. Instead Gibbs continued to the kitchen, with Tony following. Once there, Gibbs took a key out of his jeans back pocket and inserted it in a hole Tony had never noticed in the wall opposite to the door leading to the basement.

A door opened and small room was revealed. The walls were painted in white and it was completely bare but for a thick layer of fresh smelling straw on the floor and a heap of hay and a bucket in a corner. It looked like a stall…perfectly equipped to house a horse.

The penny dropped and Tony finally got the answer to the question he had never come around to ask.

"You were here," he murmured, almost to himself.

"What?" Gibbs replied, puzzled.

"That evening, when I arrived early and found you naked. You had been here."

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. I sometimes feel the need to spend time in my horse form, and here is where I do it. That's why I thought we could talk here."

Tony nodded in understanding and together they stepped into the room and sat on the straw with their backs against the wall.

"So, shoot. I'm sure you've a lot of questions," Gibbs began.

Tony snorted, "You can bet on it. But first there is something I want to say."

Gibbs turned to look at him and shook his head. "There is no need for that."

"You don't even know what I wanna say!" Tony exclaimed.

"I think you want to apologize again."

"Again?"

Gibbs' looked at him with a fond expression on his face. "I heard you, Tony. In the marauders' camp. You thought you were alone, but I was close, and I was listening.

"Oh." Tony's looked down at his hands, and then asked. "Am I forgiven?"

"For thinking I had been with someone else? Yes. It was a justified assumption given the fact I couldn't tell you the truth, even if you should know I would never cheat on you. As for putting yourself in danger and disobeying a direct order-"

"Yes?" Tony prodded.

Gibbs' hand moved with lighting speed, delivering the hardest head-slap Tony had ever received. "Now you're forgiven, but don't ever think of doing it again or to accuse me not to trust you and your professionalism." The older man all but growled, his eyes blazing.

Tony rubbed his sore nape and nodded, "I won't, Boss. I learned my lesson. As for the other matter, I guess deep inside I knew you hadn't cheated me, but I was hurt by your lack of trust in me. I mean, I couldn't understand why you couldn't tell me what you had been up. And if I have to be completely honest, I'm still a bit hurt. Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"I didn't know how to explain so that you could believe. It is hard enough to believe as one of us," Gibbs answered with a rueful, little smile.

"Try me. Give me a chance," Tony pressed.

"As you wish. My people call themselves Heirs of Arion or _Equus sapiens_. One name stems from mythology, the other from biology. Which interest you most?"

Tony lost no time in answering, "The mythological one. Who was Arion?"

"As the myth goes, Goddess Demeter, in an attempt to elude Poseidon's unwelcome advances, changed into a horse. However Poseidon too changed into a stallion, chased her and finally raped her. Arion was born by that coupling. When he got older, Arion began longing for a mate, but the mares wouldn't let him near because he was a child of the gods. So he changed into human form and found a woman he loved. The children born to her were the first of our kind. Hence our name, Heirs of Arion."

Tony nodded with a smile, "I think it's very interesting to have your very own mythology."

"I guess so. Do you also want to know the scientific side of all this?"

"Sure. I…ahem…want to know everything about you. You should know it by now."

Gibbs nodded and caressed Tony's cheek with the back of fingers. "Yeah, I do. So, you think you can handle all the big terms?"

"Hey, Phys Ed major here. Biology was a huge part of the curriculum," Tony exclaimed.

"I bet it was…Sex Machine!" Gibbs teased with a grin.

"I'll show you Sex Machine!" Tony retorted, faking an outrage he wasn't feeling. It felt so good to banter with the older man.

"I'm sure you will, "Gibbs conceded. "But not now. Now we are having a serious conversation."

Tony sobered and said, "Go on please."

"Do you know what the biological classification is for humans and horses?"

"Humans yes, horses no."

"Well go back and look it up later, but the short version is that humans and horses diverge on the Order step of the ladder. Our scientists have been able to piece our ladder back together down to the genus and species which is _Equus sapiens_. This can be translated to Wise Horse."

"Oh I get it! You really are a smart ass," Tony instantly regretted saying these words as he received the second hard head slap of the evening.

"Ouch that really hurt!"

"What? Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"I can think of a lot more I want you to kiss."

"Later. Now I want to know if you would have believed me had I told you these things that evening. Would you have believed me had I told you I'm an Heir of Arion and that I had spent the afternoon teaching a lesson to another male of my species? A Californian beach-boy who thought he could just move in this area and challenge my leadership over the local community? Personally, I don't think you would have."

"You could have taken me here and…changed…transformed…whatever."

"And see you freak out? Or see you step away from me with disgust? Or worse, see you grab the closest thing you could use as a weapon as you called me monster? I have been there and done it, Tony. Three times, and I didn't want another repeat."

"Three times?" Tony asked then his mouth opened in a silent 'oh'. "Your ex wives…"

"Yeah," Gibbs nodded as he bent one of his legs and circled it with his arms. "I know a lot of people think my last three marriages didn't last because I didn't really love my wives and was just trying to replace Shannon, but it's not true. I loved all of my ex-wives for whom they were, not for whom they reminded me of. But contrary to Shannon, they didn't love me for what I am and couldn't accept to live and sleep with a 'creature'. So I had them drink a special herbal tea know only to my people, and it made them forget what they had learned. Our marriages started going downhill from there, 'cause I could no longer look at them in the same way knowing they didn't love me or trust me enough to accept me as I am."

"Let me guess," Tony said softly, "somewhere in the house there is a portion of that tea ready for me, isn't there?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes. If you think the knowledge of what I am will prevent you from working with me, then I'll make you drink it. I don't want to lose you as agent."

"Only as an agent? And what about our relationship?" Tony asked, trying to contain his hurt.

Gibbs raised a hand and caressed his cheek. "I want that too, but I couldn't ever force you to be intimate with me if you didn't feel comfortable with what I am. I love you. I could never do it."

"You love me?" Tony whispered, the wonder in his tone unmistakable.

"Of course I love you. This is why I was afraid I would lose you if you knew what I am. I thought you would have reacted as my exes, not as-"

"Shannon," Tony interjected.

"Yeah."

"Well Boss, let me get this straight. I'm not like your exes and do you know why? Because I know you. I've known you for nine years and I'm aware of what kind of person you are deep inside—and I'm ready to bet it was the same for Shannon. You once told me you got married six years after you first met." Gibbs nodded in confirmation. "Then, after her death, you got married three times within a ten year span. Those women never had the chance to come to know and love you as deeply as Shannon did– as I do. That's why they rejected you—and that's why I won't."

"So you are okay with this?" Gibbs asked, gesturing with his hand to indicate the room and himself. "Aren't you shocked?"

"Ohh, Jethro, I'm shocked indeed," Tony commented with a light tone. "Shocked and stunned by the idea you aren't completely human and that there are other people like you living out there. But it's a good kind of shock, like the one I felt when I caught you naked in the kitchen and I saw you react in a very, uh, _interested _way to my 'oh so well-concealed' perusal…"

Tony's felt his heart swell with joy and relief when Gibbs smiled one of his rare broad, full smiles.

Everything was fine again between them and now, now they could really put those awful events behind them and look forward to their future together.

Tony watched as Gibbs stopped smiling and his face took that intent look he had been afraid would never see again. The look that meant Tony was now at the centre of the older man's complete and personal attention.

Gibbs knelt in front of Tony and raising his hand, he cupped the younger man's face, holding him still as he tilted his head and captured his lips in a kiss. A deep, passionate, loving kiss that Tony was more than eager to return in kind.

One of Gibbs' hands let go of his face, slid down and slipped beneath Tony's shirt, stroking his side. The young man felt his stomach muscles quiver at the familiar touch. His breath hitched as the hand moved upward, found his nipple and pinched it while Gibbs nipped lightly at Tony's tongue.

In the two months they had been together, Gibbs had had plenty of time to explore Tony's body and discover all of his sensitive points. He knew where to squeeze when Tony's neck ached from a day spent bent a cold case report; where to massage if he wanted the younger man to relax after a gunfire or a chase that had left him with too much tension in his body and too much adrenaline in his blood and where to touch his lips and his hands to make Tony tremble beneath him. Now he was ruthless exploiting that knowledge to turn Tony in a mass of quivering need.

As their passion mounted, they stood up and got rid of their clothes, throwing them away with no care for where they landed. Then they settled down again on the soft, fresh smelling straw, this time with Gibbs sitting with his back against the wall while Tony straddled his lap, facing him.

They both gasped when their erections rubbed together and they arched against each other a second time, seeking that contact again. Gibbs took the initiative, wrapping his calloused hand around both shafts, stroking them and occasionally swiping his thumb over the heads.

Tony's head dropped onto Gibbs' shoulder, alternately nibbling and licking the smooth skin there, as the older man's free hand roamed along his back and ass, the long fingers sliding gently along his crack and brushing and circling his sensitive, puckered opening. Tony rose on his knees, causing Gibbs to let go of his erection and spread his legs wider.

"Do me," he said roughly, looking down at Gibbs' hooded eyes, as he pressed back against the too gentle fingers.

"Can't. We don't have any lube and condoms handy," said the slightly breathless voice.

"We could do without," Tony pressed, "or move upstairs."

"No...We'll do something else." Gibbs surged forward and before Tony knew what was happening, he found himself lying on his stomach on the straw, with his lover's body covering him and pinning him down.

Tony could feel Gibbs' chest hair brush his back and his hot erection press against his ass as the older man nuzzled at his nape and peppered his shoulders with little bites and kisses.

Then Gibbs began to move, thrusting his hips and rubbing his cock against Tony's ass crack and lower back, just as he maneuvered his right arm beneath the younger man's body and took hold of his weeping erection.

Their position and combined body weight made it difficult for Tony to move and arch against Gibbs or thrust into his lover's fist, but instead of being frustrating, it turned out to be quite nice. It felt good to lay there and feel the pleasurable tension build, slowly but inexorably, so much that Tony stopped moving at all and gave himself completely to Gibbs' care, letting his lover do all the work as he reaped the benefits of it.

Finally the pleasure and the tension became too much and Tony knew he was about to lose his control, he blindly reached out for Gibbs's free hand, gripping it tightly as his body convulsed with its release.

When Tony came down from his white hot pleasure, Gibbs was slumped above him, limp and unmoving, with his right hand still wrapped around the younger man's softening cock. A puddle of cooling come slowly dripped down the divide of Tony's buttocks, silent testimony of their shared pleasure.

Gibbs then moved, kissed Tony's left shoulder and with a loud groan, moved away from the younger man and flopped to collapse at his side. Tony rolled over to lie on his back and reached out again for Gibbs' hand, intertwining their fingers as they basked in the afterglow.

A few minutes later, as Tony was about to fall asleep, he felt Gibbs' hand slip away from his own as his lover rolled onto his side.

"Tony?" came in a slightly hesitant tone which was completely foreign to Gibbs.

"Yes?" he answered promptly as he turned his head to face his lover, concerned something might be not all right.

"Would you mind if I change now? It would help with my back that, I loathe to say, is still killing me. I'm really getting old."

"Didn't seem like that a few minutes ago, as you rolled me in the hay and humped me like a horny teenager…" Tony joked. Then he sobered and nodded. "You didn't need to ask. I told you I don't mind it. Feel free to change every time you wish or need to do it."

"Okay," Gibbs nodded. He bent down and kissed Tony softly and lovingly. Then he pulled back, moved on his hands and knees and before Tony could blink his eyes, he changed into the grey stallion the younger man had first spotted standing atop a rocky wall, his long mane whirling in the wind.

Then Gibbs folded his legs beneath his body and lay down on his side near Tony. The young man smiled and reached out with his hand, stroking the velvety soft nose of his lover.

It should have been surreal that he was lying there naked, calm and at ease while the man he had just made love with had just transformed in a horse …an animal. Yet, it wasn't.

Tony had never felt more at ease and at peace in his whole life, because he now knew Leroy Jethro Gibbs loved and trusted with all of himself, and really there was no better feeling in the world than loving and being loved, no matter in what shape or shapes that love came.

**Epilogue**

Tony was sitting atop of a low, rolling hill, with the branches a giant tree offering him shelter from the hot summer sun.

Around him, all he could see as far as his gaze could reach were fields covered by luscious green grass, small artificial ponds, well-kept white fences, and horses.

Most of them were high-priced thoroughbreds, mares grazing as their foals romped around, yearlings enjoying their last weeks of leisure before their training began, or racehorses back to the farm for some rest or to recover from an injury. But the herd Tony was following with his eyes as it grazed at the far side of the paddock where he was sitting, was different from them.

That herd was made by the Heirs of Arion, men, women and children that had arrived that morning for one of the periodical gathering of their Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia community.

Tony had observed them walk as people in one of the farm barns and exit it in their horse form, whinnying, rearing, bucking and galloping around, before they had all trotted up to the hill where Tony was now sitting, where Gibbs had been waiting for them, he too in his horse form.

Tony had watched as every one of the forty-seven members of the community, had approached Gibbs and showed their submission to him in some way. Then the whole group had galloped away, with Gibbs at its head.

Tony smiled when he saw two kids, two bay little foals with long, spiky legs, approach Gibbs and rear in front of him. Gibbs stopped to graze and pawed at the ground, but the kids didn't seem scared by him. One of them pawed at the grey stallion in return and then they both took off at gallop as Gibbs chased them at a more sedate canter.

Their chase brought the trio close to Tony's position, and when the foals turned to gallop back toward the rest of the herd and their parents, Gibbs slowed down to walk and approached Tony, lowering his head to nuzzle at the young man's cheek.

"You enjoying yourself, Jethro?" Tony asked, not really expecting an answer as he raised a hand pat his lover's neck. But before he could complete the gesture, Gibbs changed into his human form and answered, "Yes, a lot. And you?"

Tony tensed and looked right and left, not used to see Gibbs change forms or be completely naked in public.

"Relax, Tony, it's safe here. Told ya the farm belongs to one of my people and he has given a vacation day to his workers."

Tony's muscles relaxed and he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you did. It's just a bit difficult to accept that around the world there are _Equus sapiens, _that they go around with their everyday lives, that I might have met some of them without ever imagining their secret…I guess you find all of this normal, but to me it's not. Not yet, at least. I need some time."

Gibbs nodded as he put an arm around Tony's shoulder and pulled him against his side. "I understand," he said, pressing a kiss in the younger man's hair.

"That said," Tony added, "I'm enjoying myself. It's interesting to observe how the members of…your herd…interact with you and between themselves. The little ones are especially entertaining: they are so playful and full of energy. It must not be easy for such active kids to stay cooped up in their human form, sitting for hours at school."

"No, it's not easy for them. That's why most of our youngsters are homeschooled, at least until the time they are able to control their urge to change."

"You too?"

"Yes. My Mom schooled me…and Shannon did the same with Kelly," Gibbs added as his eyes settled on the two young ones he had chased before.

Tony watched the faraway look on Gibbs' face and decided to distract him before he became too melancholic. "Hey Boss, several of your people are looking at us. I think they're ogling you."

Gibbs snorted, "I think it's more probable they're observing you. This is the first time since I assumed the leadership of the herd that they have seen me with a partner. They're all very curious about you."

"Did someone complain about the fact I'm a man?"

"Nope. Why should they? _Homo sapiens-Equus sapiens_ pairings are more common than pure _Equus_ _sapiens_ pairings. I'm of mixed blood too. Jack is a human."

"I said 'man' as in 'male'. I cannot give you children, and since you're their much respected leader, they might have been hoping you would have an heir one day…"

Gibbs shook his head. "You watch too many movies, Tony. The leader position isn't hereditary. When I feel like I've had enough of solving problems, reining in hot-heads, chasing away troublemakers and dispensing pieces of advice, I'll choose my successor, just like my predecessor did with me."

Tony nodded. "But I bet that day won't come for many years," he said with a smile. "You enjoy responsibilities and taking care of people far too much for your good. But I like that in you."

Gibbs' eyes took an intent look and he murmured huskily. "Right now, there is only one person I want to take care of: _you_. Let's go to find some privacy." He moved on his hands and knees and added, "Come on, straddle me."

"While you are like this?" Tony exclaimed. "You don't want to be seen going down on your knee for me?" he joked.

"Say it again and you will walk all the four miles from here to the farm main residence and our bedroom," Gibbs growled.

Tony laughed, unfazed by the threat, and sat down gently on his lover's back. He barely had the time to tighten his leg hold around Gibbs' flanks before the older man changed and Tony found himself looking at the landscape from a more elevated position.

Gibbs turned his grey head to look at him and Tony grinned as he took hold of a lock of his mane. "I'm ready, Boss. Let's go to find some privacy, so you can show me yet another time what a big stud you are." He said sultrily and was rewarded when Gibbs' nostrils flared and his eyes widened.

Then his grey haired stallion took off at full gallop, his powerful strides devouring the ground under his hooves.

As they rushed across the field, Tony grinned broadly at the thought he was also in for a heck of a ride as soon as they reached their room.

The End

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A/N: this story was inspired by a couple of photos I found on the web; the links are posted in my profile if you wish to check them.

As soon as I saw that horse, with his body as silver as Gibbs' hair is now, while his mane is dark grey as Gibbs' hair was at the beginning of the series, I couldn't resist: I had to write a story where Gibbs turned into a horse looking like this one…and this was the result. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I liked writing it. Let me know your thoughts!


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